Bundle-fork.



c. R. SWANSON.

BUNDLE FORK.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.30, 1915.

1,1 78,885. v Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

CLAUS RUDOLPH SWANSON, JAMESTOWN, NORTH DAKOTA.

BUNDLE-FORK.

' Specification of ltetters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11,1916.

Application filed August 30, 1915. Serial No. 48,106.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUs RUDOLPH SWANSON, a citizen of the United States,'residing at Jamestown, in the county of Stutsman and State of North Dakota, have invented a new and useful Bundle-Fork; and

I do hereby declare the following to be a bundles of grain or the like from a wagon to a stack and vice versa, or from a wagon to a hay loft and vice versa, or from a shock to a wagon. In other words, to provide a yieldably mounted fork member, which will tend to throw the bundles of grain farther, without extra exertion on the part of the user or operator.

In practical fields the details of construction may necessitate alterations, falling within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the improved fork constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the forward portion of the fork handle, showing theyieldably mounted fork member proper. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View. Fig. 4 is a detail view.

Referring more especially to the drawings, '1 designates a handle member, one end of which is slotted longitudinally as shown at 2, and secured about'the member 1 adj acent the open end of the slot 2 is a band or clamp 3, the ends 4: of which are secured together by the bolt 5 and its nut. The band 3 upon its inner portion above and below is provided with lugs 6 and 7, to enter into the slots adjacent its open end, thereby preventing the sides 8 and 9 of the slotted end of the member 1 from being drawn together by the clamp or band 3. A band 10 extends about the member 1 adjacent the closed end ofthe slot, and has its ends clamped together by the bolt 11, and also rigidly fixed by the bolt 11 is one end of a heavy or stout ,yieldable spring 12, the body portion of which extends angularly through the slot '2 of-the member 1. The spring is held rigidly fixed owing to the bolt 11 being rectangular in cross section,which bolt is extended through the ears of the'band 10 and through the sleeved end of the spring.

The free end portion 13 of the spring 12 bears under the shank 14 of the fork member proper 15, so as to hold the shank which is adjacent the fork 15 in contact with the lug, 7 of the band 3. The end portion 16 of the shank 14 is pivoted at 17 to the bolt 18, which extends transversely of the member 1 and the band 10. The bands 3 and 10 are connected at their upper parts by the bar 19. This bar 19 covers the upper portion of the slot 2, thereby preventing foreign matter from clogging the slot. The bands 3 and 10 are slipped upon the member 1 or handle as a unit, when assembling the parts, afteg which the bolts 5, 11 and18 are app 1e It is to be noted that when lifting bundles of grain or the like with the fork 15 and pitching it in a loft or on a wagon or upon a stack, the shank 14: swings upon its pivot against the action of the spring 12, and when the swinging or throwing movement of the handle member 1 in the hands of the operator substantially abruptly ceases, the action of thespring 12 imparts an extra or additional throw or movement to the shank 14 and the fork 15, thereby causing the bundle of grain to leave the fork 15 with additional momentum, thereby causing the same to travel farther than otherwise.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is In combination, a handle member having a slot in one end opening adjacent one end of the handle member, a pair of bands, one clamped to the handle member adjacent the open end of the slot, the other clamped to the handle member adjacent the closed end of the'slot, said band being connected by an elongated bar covering the upper portion of the slot, a fork having its shank extending into the slot, means extending through the band at the closed end of the slot and extending through the handle member on which the inner end of the shank is pivoted, the band at the open end of the slot having lugs extending into the slot to prevent the sides of the slotted end of the handle member from being drawn together, and a heavy leaf spring rigidly fixed to a part of the band adjacent the closed end of the slot and having its free end bear- In testimony whereof I have signed my ing under the shank adjacent the fork, ectname to this specification in the presence ing to impart additional movement to the of two subscribing Witnesses.

fork and shank as the movement of the CLAUS RUDOLPH SWANSON. handle member ceases in order to impart Witnesses:

additional momentum to the bundle of F. I. TABLER, 7

grain or the like as it leaves the fork. GEO. W. THOMPSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

